


See You in the Morning

by orphan_account



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Character Death, Everyones there some arent mentioned, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 20:43:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7729054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've known for a while that she's sick.</p><p>Eponine is very sick and they don't have a lot of time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	See You in the Morning

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this mainly because of something my brother said to me when we were going to sleep, and for some reason, this is what my mind went to. I hope you enjoy! Also, I know this is really bad, I did as much research on Tuberculosis as i could so sorry if i got stuff wrong!

They’ve known for a while that she’s sick. It started with her having to leave early with a bad cough that constantly interrupted Enjolras. She grabbed her siblings and took them home saying that she had to get to work early.

They diagnosed her with the common cold at first, seeing as it was getting colder out and she didn't really have appropriate winter clothing since she spent her clothing money on her siblings so they wouldn't freeze on their walk to school. They lived in a pretty remote area where the buses didn't go, so Azelma and Gavroche had to make a half hour walk to and from school. They were strong kids though, they never complained. 

Occasionally one of the amis would get off of work early and pick them up and drive them home, and they couldn't thank them enough. They would run to their door, waving happily before running into the empty house. 

Eponine's work constantly kept her late, not letting her get as much rest as she needs, but it paid the bill. Whenever she got off work, she started the hour walk home. Rubbing her arms and breathing on her hands before getting another coughing fit. She rests against a brick building as the fit subsided and she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, ignoring the coppery taste in her mouth as she wipes her hand on her jacket and she starts walking again, acting like that never happened.

She gets home later than usual seeing as she had a few more coughing fits on her way back. She gently closed and locked the door before going to check on Gavroche and Azelma. As she walking down the dark hallway, she sees a faint light from underneath Gavroche’s door. She quietly opens Azelma’s door to see her sleeping peacefully. She smiles gently before closing the door and making her way to Gavroches room. 

She slowly opens the door to see Gavroche barely awake, trying to stay focused on his homework. She sighs and walks over to him and taps his shoulder making him look up at her. She picks him up and carries him to his bed with little trouble. She tucks him in before kissing his forehead.

“See you in the morning.” She says with a smile.

“See you in the morning.” He repeated before falling asleep.

She goes to the living room to attempt to start looking at the bills before she falls asleep on the couch.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Combeferre the one that notices her weight loss.  
Sure, she's always been pretty skinny, but she always had some meat on her bones. Now, she's as thin as a stick. Her appetite has severely lessened and its getting harder to coax her to come out and have fun with everyone. 

One night, Combeferre had woken and went to get a glass of water. When he came back to bed, he saw that Eponine was very sweaty and hot, even though it was freezing in Combeferre house. He frowns but shakes it off and slides back into the bed and goes back to sleep.

 

During one meeting, Eponine is sitting and chatting with Cosette next to Joly. She coughs harshly into her hand and thinks nothing of it when she uses a napkin to wipe her hand off. Joly turns to look at her with slight alarm before noticing the crimson stained napkin and the bit of blood on her chin. 

He doesn't waste time to start panicking and listing every different diseases and infection that could be causing the blood. One of the infections catches Combeferre attention as Musichetta takes a hold of Joly and her and Bossuet try to calm him down outside. He eyes Eponine before taking out his phone and walking over to her. He gently places his hand on her shoulder and asks if it's alright if he takes her to the hospital to check her lungs out. It took a bit of convincing and her telling everyone she's fine, but they manage to get her into Enjolras’s car and on her way to the hospital.

They check her in and a nurse leads eponine away to do some tests. Combeferre tells Enjolras to go back to everyone while he waits with Gavroche and Azelma in the waiting area, playing some puzzle games in children's magazines with the two.

It's a while before he sees the nurse that took Eponine away to do some tests walking over to him with a bit of a worried look. She asks if she can talk to him alone, and leads him to the corner of the room.

She explains how Eponine has Tuberculosis, and infectious disease caused by a bacteria that infects the lungs, and it acts very quick. It's already advanced too far for them to treat, but they want to keep her in the hospital to see if they can do anything. 

Combeferre nods and goes back to Azelma and Gavroche to tell them they’ll be staying with him for a while. “Eponine's going to be here for a while so they can try and make her feel better.” He explains as he leads them to his car. Azelma shrugs it off and stays quiet while Gavroche frowns, “But I haven't said goodnight!” He crosses his arms and plants his feet stubbornly, not planning on moving until he says goodnight. 

Combeferre sighs and nods, picking Azelma up and placing her on his hip before walking them inside. He asks what room Eponine is in before thanking the nurse and making his way to the room.

Gavroche runs in before Combeferre, who is trying to keep the now asleep Azelma on his hip. When he does walk into the room, he's saddened by the sight of eponine hooked up to all these tubes and machines. The once strong and loud Eponine has been replaced by a thin, weak, and quiet girl.

She looks at combeferre with sad eyes and a smile as Gavroche takes her hand and starts going on about how she looks like a robot with all the stuff hooked up to her. She laughs and nods before Combeferre reminds him to say goodnight so they can let her rest. 

Gavroche sighs and kisses her cheek and gives her a fist bump, “See you in the mornin’,” he grins before walking over to Combeferre.

“See you in the morning.” She responds with a similar grin, waving to them and blowing Combeferre a kiss as the 3 walk out, letting her close her eyes and rest.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She's been in the hospital for only about a week now, and she's only gotten worse. She spends her time listening to her friends talk about their favorite thing and their days, which seems to get her mind off the thought of death.

It's 9 pm, December 22nd, and Combeferre cannot get Gavroche to leave Eponine's side for the life of him. He's been trying for an hour, and Gavroche keeps on insisting it's almost time to go, but it's not till Eponine takes his hand gently, a weak smile on her face and a silent tear on her cheek as she whispers “See you in the morning,” that he nods silently and talks Combeferre hand that he leaves.

Combeferre had finally gotten the kids to sleep and had sat on the old couch with an exhausted sigh. He sits up and rubs his eyes before noticing a box in the corner of the room. He walks over and gets on one knee and pulls it out before walking it back over to the couch. He sits down and opens the old brown box and when he sees the contents, he laughs out loud.

Eponine had always wanted to be a photographer, saying that she wanted to be ables to “live in the moment now, and in 20 years.” It never made sense to him, but he would never get the chance to ask her what she meant before she was shoving her camera in his face.

He slowly picks his way through all the pictures with a smile, a certain few have Eponine in them as a result of someone stealing her camera for a bit to snap a few pictures of her having fun. The ones with her in them were no doubt his favorite. She always had a bright happy and healthy look on her face, and was always surrounded by their closest friend. 

He eventually ended up falling asleep after a while with the pictures still scattered around him.  
Its 4 in the morning when hes woken by a phone call. He groggily sits and takes his phone out of his pocket and answers it with a tired “Hello?”

“Is this Julian Combeferre?” A mans voice asks.

Combeferre frowns a bit but answers that, yes it is Combeferre.

“I am calling to tell you that your wife, Eponine, has passed a little while ago. Im sorry for your loss.” Combeferre thanks the man and hangs up.

He sets his phone down and rubs his hands together before texting Enjolras to call an early meeting the moment he wakes up.

About three hours later, everyone is gathered in the Musian. Most already assumed what this is about, and is only waiting for the truth to start crying. Azelma and Gavroche sit on Cosettes knees, trying to cheer her up since they saw her crying.

Combeferre steps to the front of the room, and wastes no time telling them what had happened during the night. The room is quickly filled with sobs and low murmurs of comfort as Combeferre goes on about when and where the funeral will be held before going to take a seat next to Enjolras and Grantaire who pat his back and hug him.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Combeferre doesnt cry.

He didn't cry when he learned that his love had died alone at night. He didnt cry when he told his friends and they had let out heart wrenching sobs. He didnt cry when Azelma asked why they were going to see Eponine. He didnt crie when he talked about all their adventures and an amazing wife infront of his freinds and infront of her dead body. He didnt cry when Gavroche spoke about a loving sister. He didnt cry with Grantaire spoke about a best friend, or when Bahorel spoke about a stong brave heart, or when Cosette spoke about the best wing women.

He didnt cry when they took her casket to a grave yard and some priest spoke about her heading into the after life.

He didnt even cry when they lowered the casket into the ground and the group slowly walked to their cars.

Holding Azelmas hand he slowly walks her and Gavroche to his car, but he notices Gavroche isnt following. He looks back to see the boy standing over the hole in the ground with his sisters body in it with a tear stained face. He tells Azelma to follow Enjolras before walking over to put a hand on his shoulder and stares down at the casket with a sigh before pulling Gavroche into a hug. 

They sit like that for a moment for Gavroche pulls away and wipes his eyes and turns back to the casket. He takes a breath a Combeferre stands up. He says something Combeferre didnt really hear, but they moment he realized what he said, the tears came rushing out. He sobs as he tugs Gavroche to his chest once more, hugging him tighter than ever as he cries harder than hes ever cried before.

He calms down enough to drive Gavroche to the Musain where everyone else was, trying to have a good time. But it was missing a loud voice and the small body that always brung the party. She would never be back, they knew that, They could never replace her, they knew that. But she wouldnt want them to be sad, they knew that. So they partied in honor of her. 

Combeferre would never forget the words that brought him to the reality he had been denying. The 5 words that made him come crashing back to earth. The 5 words Gavroche had said as a final goodbye to his sister.

 

“See you in the morning”

**Author's Note:**

> Eponine and Combeferre are married but live in different houses yes. They were planning to move in together but then Eponine got sick and died.  
> Sorry, I just wanted to clear that up <3  
> I wrote this in different part of the day, so if it doesn't really make sense at some parts, i was probably too tired to notice.


End file.
